By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Kanye West has been getting slammed left and right for interrupting Beck’s big moment at this year’s Grammys, but he sat down with Ryan Seacrest this morning to address the backlash.
Here are the highlights of the interview.
On why he got on the stage, he says:
“You know, I felt like just the whole Grammys, right when that happened, everybody was looking at me and then people started screaming, “Kanye! Kanye! Go do it!” Ok, that didn’t really happen, these were voices in my head. So the voices in my head told me go and then I just walked up like halfway up the stage. You know, what I really wanted to do is just joke around about what had happened before, but I just really didn’t want to take away from Beck’s moment or the time he’s having to talk because you know the Grammys, they play music really quick no matter who you are and everything. So I didn’t want anything to take away from his screen time. So I just walked back down because you know, it was kind of a joke like the Grammys themselves.”
On many people feeling like he disrespected Beck:
“Well first of all, Beck is one of the nicest guys and one of the most respected musicians in the game. So, there’s nothing that I will want to do as a fellow musician to disrespect him in any way. And the weird thing is like, and I don’t feel like I have the right to take away from people’s moments, but the reality of it is — and case in point by who came up to me right afterwards — is it’s almost like a chiropractor. You know, you just get a little crook out like, ‘Wow, this crook has been there!’ It’s just a little jolt of truth, right? And then you know, everyone feels better after the fact, or everyone is way more famous after the fact, or everyone sells way more albums after the fact, and then Kanye just goes on being an a**hole to everyone.”
Kanye also explains his post Grammys rant with E! News:
“Well you know what happened? It’s because I sat there and I kind of let that [smolder] and I was asked my opinion and I was given a platform. And when given a platform, it’s very hard as we know — and I’m going to talk in third person like I’m a crazy person — but it’s very hard for Kanye West to not be very true and vocal to what he feels. You know, it’s like people take the Grammys for granted in a way because of the commercials, because a lot of the musicians are very rich and everything, but this is our Super Bowl. You know, and someone’s got to be mad that [Marshawn Lynch] didn’t get the ball.
“I also wanted to stress to people that it’s not a black or white thing at all. It’s not me always standing up for a black artist. I feel that racism is a distraction to humanity. We are one race. We are the human race, period. And I feel that we have to base our new society, the future post-Internet society, off of blocks and bricks of truth. And if the Grammys are capitalizing off the amount of views that Beyoncé gets for them and still not laying that brick of truth and being respectful towards [deserving artists] — because Beck says afterwards, literally, says, ‘Hey I think Beyoncé should’ve won it.’
“And when I said that thing about respect artistry, I think it came off the wrong way, and that was a mis-wording on my part because obviously Beck is one of the most respected artists and respects artistry. But I felt — and this is my opinion and he’s his own man and he’s not wrong and we’ll still go play basketball and stuff [unless] he doesn’t want to do it — but I felt that even though the Grammys some times gives awards to people who you wouldn’t think should win in the category, as a respect to artists, we mention the other artist’s name in our speech. And that was the point I was making about it. There’s like many of times I gave other people my award, literally made them come up onstage. Maroon 5, when they won best new artist, [Adam Levine] mentioned me because it was the College Dropout and [it had] 10 nominations and all that.”
Kanye also says Beyonce didn’t run on stage for image reasons:
“I believe she didn’t move and run to the stage because she’s a respectful individual. But because she is so successful, a lot of times, success disables your ability to communicate exactly what the f**k you want to say!”
Check out the interview below:
I want him to stop speaking for Beyonce. She’s not hurting or going crazy over not getting AOTY.
Cosign. She seems perfectly ok with the 20 Grammys she has.
Exactly. Bey is happy and had a great year. People need to move on.
I really wish Kanye would shut the f-ck up. As much bullsh-t as he’s said about black people in the last two years, I refuse to take anything he says seriously ever again. And f-ck the Grammys too. They constantly sh-t on black artists and our dumb a-ses keep watching it and attending it every year anyway like idiots.
This.
Oh shut the f-ck up Kanye with this damage control. Did Beyonce deserve to win absolutely but Beck didn’t deserve to have his moment tainted by Kanye. He flat out disrespected Beck talking about Beck needs to respect the artistry this is a man who plays 14 instruments writes produces and arranges all his music. So since people need to respect artistry how about getting the Kardashians to give up cover magazines and other undeserving accolades to more deserving singers, actresses and other people.
This all day.
Kanye is such a troll and we all fall for it every single time. He has managed once again to make an award show all about him. You would think he won AOTY the way everyone is talking about him.
All I’m hearing about is Beyonce and Kanye now. Was that the point of all this?
I miss the old Kanye.
One day someone is going to whoop his a-s.
People need to stop putting the Grammys on a pedestal.
I can’t believe folks are still on this. It’s going on Thursday.
No Kanye is the one still on this!
Actually, Kanye only did this interview because people haven’t stopped talking about it. Even that Patriots player had something to say about it. As much as he annoys me, Kanye really knows how to keep people talking. And even though people get mad and drag him, he never gets backlisted. I wonder why that is.
The only black artist he stands for is Beyonce. Never heard him back up another artist before. He is back peddling because he’s been receiving backlash from top people in the music industry too I read it somewhere… He preys on the weak! He acts tough and all but he isn’t that’s why he talks a lot. People that talk a lot rarely put their words into action.
Yep, 50 Cent, Ebro and Rosenberg all said Kanye wS wrong on this. Beck produced his entire album while Beyonce had many producers help her on her project.
If you don’t get the f-ck out of here. I wish y’all would stop trying to downplay Beyonce’s album like that. Beck had more than 11 producers on his album as well. But y’all wouldn’t know that because y’all didn’t even know he existed until the Grammys. He did not produce or write his album himself either. No artist does. Get your facts right and stop letting these dumb a-s memes have you looking stupid out here.
Boy bye. You tell me to get my facts straight when I quoted what someone else said. Please miss me with that bs, I am not the one! Just because someone doesn’t agree with what the hell you think, you reply to my comment. You ride hard for someone who will never acknowledge you, EVER!. Go play in traffic.
I’m not a boy idiot. I’m a woman and currently pregnant. Can you get anything right? Anyway, playing in traffic isn’t convenient right now for me since I’m you know…pregnant. But do me a favor and start doing research before you decide to start regurgitating FALSE information. I might ride hard for a stranger, but spreading false information about someone you don’t even know and telling me to kill myself over Beyonce doesn’t make you any better than me, now does it?
Did you really tell someone to go play in traffic? It’s really not that serious. Get help.
@ King Bey,
Pregnancy has calmed you down a lot. I just knew you would go in over the play in traffic bit, but you didn’t. I’m proud of you girl.
Some of y’all believe anything y’all read in those dumb memes. Beck had multiple producers and writers for his album as well. And even though he plays multiple instruments, that didn’t stop him from having multiple musicians on his project. Y’all bragging about that man like he did everything himself. Please. And f-ck Ebro, Charlamagne and the rest of those uncle toms who sided with Beck. They are like most toms, they think white is better automatically. They were kissing Iggy’s a-s too and 50 just dragged the f-ck out of a dark skinned woman on IG. LOL @ yall caping for those toms now because they aren’t Team Beyonce. F-ck boys. All of them.
I think you are right. I don’t follow Beck, so I can see why you would quote what someone else mentioned. Billboard said Beck produced his album and I watched the interview with 50 Cent and this is what he said, “[Beck] produced [his] record, wrote the record — there’s eleven producers on Beyoncé’s album. Kanye being a producer and a writer should see that,”. I think because a lot of folks wanted Bey to win that they tried to downplay his credits. It’s up to the music peers to vote who they believed to be deserving. If it’s Beck, everyone should respect that.
But even looking at the backlash you received for simply quoting something it amazing to me. The Bey stans changed Beck’s wikipedia information and started a petition on change.org. They need to calm down! As for you, don’t allow anyone to get you that upset. You stated your opinion and stood by it, much respect to you , Reesey.
Reesey, You are so pathetic. I’m cracking up at you changing your name on here just to cosign yourself because you knew you couldn’t come back with your original name because telling me to kill myself hurt your whole argument. Your typing style is exactly the same. At least switch it up next time you big dummy. Did you need the validation so bad that a name change was warranted? LOL.
Like I told you before idiot, Beck had multiple producers on his album, including himself. Just like Beyonce (yep, Beyonce also produced her album too). It’s even on his Wikipedia page. And if you’re that pressed (which you are if you’re changing names), you can find the same information in his album credits. Who do you think he thanked during his speech? Now, if anyone is downplaying an artist here, it would be you. You’re saying Beyonce didn’t deserve AOTY because she had multiple producers but refusing to admit that Beck didn’t put the album together himself. But you don’t want to admit that because it hurts your stupid argument against Beyonce. Everyone nominated for AOTY had help on their albums. Get over yourself.
And citing Billboard to prove your dumb a-s argument is beyond weak because Billboard has been called out multiple times for putting out incorrect information and not doing their research. I guess they saw the same meme your punk a-s did.
And the nerve of you to try to pretend you were being attacked on here when you’re the only fool that told someone to kill themselves because I gave you the facts you didn’t want. Shut up.
Now don’t try to call out the Hive for doing a damn thing when you had no problems telling a pregnant woman to play in traffic because I shattered your whole argument. You’re no better than the Hive. You’re just as bad, so take this L and move on.
And UB/Amanda, I was banned from a post before for saying something less harsh to someone on here. Why is this person not being banned for telling me to play in traffic and using multiple names to cosign themselves on here? I don’t think that’s fair at all.
You can tell who didn’t know who Beck was or listened to his album. It only takes a few seconds to pull his album credits up, so why are people out here lying? He had multiple producers. So did everyone who was nominated for AOTY. All of them deserved to be nominated, so stop trying to put down Beyonce.
Eh, Beyonce doesn’t seemed to be as pressed as Kanye is about this. Good for her.
Let’s clear up a few things…
1) Beck’s album was not his best work. It wasn’t that great but he’s very talented. However, he didn’t produce or write that album himself. He had multiple producers and writers…very much like Beyonce. And those of us that are familiar with his work know that he loves to use samples, very much like Kanye.
2) The Grammys loves to give AOTY to the least popular. Sam and Bey never stood a chance since they were the most popular.
3) Ten years from now we won’t even remember who won. But Beyonce’s most recent album changed the music industry forever. You will now see multiple artists releasing albums in non traditional ways a lot more. This will cement her legacy as an artist, and that was why she did it in the first place.
4) Beyonce has 20 Grammys. I don’t think she’s hurting about not getting one more.
5) It’s really time for everyone, stans and haters alike to move on. I’m a little bothered that the Grammys became all about Kanye and Beyonce. LOL.